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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

THE VEEPSTAKES

A brief rundown of candidates. I'll exclude McCain choices, because it's not my party; however, my guess is Romney as the favorite with Crist in 2nd place.

Ideally, Barack Obama could find someone who brings some foreign policy experience and also knows the Washington inside game. The insider skills might well be provided filled by his White House chief of staff or Congresional liason. So foreign policy credentials is a higher priority although Obama himself is and will be strong in this arena. Finally, the VP candidate must complement the Obama theme of change without bitter partisanship.

First, not Hillary. Sure, she's well qualified to take over if the worst happened and she certainly would help win the election. However, Obama must think of governing and that's hard to do while watching your back and worrying about Bill.

The senators, such as Webb, Biden, McCaskill, maybe Dodd. First priority is that the Senator's successor must be a Democrat. We can't afford to lose a seat. Webb looks the strongest - opposes Iraq war, a strategic thinker with a military background.

Of the governors, ex-governors and others, the leading candidates would be Bill Richardson and Kathleen Sebelius, Democrstic governor of Republican Kansas. Downside for her is lack of foreign policy experience and possible loss of a Democratic goevernorship. Richardson has the foreign policy and executive experience but is not a great campaigner. Unlike with others of limited campaign skills, such as Wesley Clark and Evan Bayh, Hillary would be reluctant to make up for shortcomings of this "Judas". Sam Nunn is probably too old for this new generation movement

Mayor Michael Bloomberg would be a very interesting choice, but could he be happy as second banana?

ELECTION NIGHT HILLARY

On an historic evening when an African-American had just clinched the presidential nomination, his rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, gave a campaign speech. She offered some praise to Barack Obama for the strong campaign he had run, but carefully avoided the word. "won".

During the day, expecting Obama's victory, Clinton's campaign had stepped on the celebration of this milestone with, among other things, her statement that she was open to being the candidate for vice president. This gave extra meaning to her demand that the 18 million (sic) Americans who had voted for her must be respected.

Hillary's speech was before a few hundred donors and supporters in a basement gymnasium at New York's Baruch College. (Didn't Obama once tell us that the word Barack was a form of the word Baruch?) With no television monitors there, some in the audience certainly had not heard that Obama had just won the nomination. They surely would not get this news from her.

Terry McAuliffe introduced Clinton as the "next president" and her speech was a mixture of farewell thank yous to supporters and campaign workers and vows to keep standing up and fighting for her beliefs and the American people. The Senator again presented her case that she was the stronger candidate and argued that she had won the popular vote, a notion disputed by the Obama campaign. She said she would work for party unity, but she had already been including this in her stump speech. No congratulations to Obama, no endorsement, no concession.

And no graciousness.

FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN PRIMARY VOTES

While campaigning in Florida, Hillary Clinton defiantly sent out new signals that she might take her fight for the nomination all the way to the party’s convention in August.

First, Hillary held a "victory" rally in Florida, claiming a "win" wherethere was no contest. Then,she flip-flopped on her prior position that FLand MI votes should not count.

Her claims to the results in these states are spurious, whether or notObama was on the ballot. When you are a Clinton, with a background of thepresidency and decades in the public eye, of course you will get the mostvotes when your opponent has not campaigned.

Monday, June 02, 2008

SUB-ROSA NEWS

Some of the NewsThat may be True

HILLARY PROMOTES PARTY UNITY IN PUERTO RICO

In her victory speech after the Puerto Rico primary, Senatory Clinton heeded the calls for party unity by focusing on the need for a Democratic victory in November. Rather than making claims for her own campaign, she looked forward to the general election.

After thanking Puerto Rico "So-o-o much" for her impressive win, Clinton placed the primary result in a different light. She noted the value of her support among Hispanic voters for the campaign against John McCain. In strong and inspiring language, the Senator vowed to campaign vigorously for Barack Obama in states where the votes Hispanic/Latino citizens were essential.

Turning her attention to the large television audience, she appealed directly to mainland Hispanic/Latino voters to go to the polls in large numbers to vote for the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama.

Weekend at McCain’s

It was just a social event, insisted Senator McCain's spokesman referring to the gathering of presumed vice presidential hopefuls at McCain's secluded ranch in Sedona,Arizona. Attending were Mitt Romney, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Lousiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and Meg Whitman former CEO of eBay,

According to a confidential source, the weekend proceded smoothly and amicably until the Memorial Day barbecue. As the barbecue was being served, Governor Crist laughed and smirked when Mr. Romney asked for arugula to accompany his meat, saying that this sounded very "elitist". Then Bobby Jindal took offense when Cindy McCain asked him to provide technical help for a problem with their home computer.

Finally, Mrs. McCain herself becam extremely annoyed as Meg Whitman kept pointing out to Senator McCain how much he could get for several artifacts and household items by selling them on eBay. As a result, the picnic lunch ended early and the guests were dispatched to the airport.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee regretted that he was unable to attend this weekend social event.